RNC Event Features Jewish Politician's Prayer for Gaza Hostages

“Beautiful prayer!” a delegate shouted from the floor of the massive Fiserv Forum, responding to a heartfelt benediction led by Leora Levy, a Jewish Republican from Connecticut, at the Republican National Convention. Levy, a prominent figure in the Republican Jewish Coalition and former Senate candidate, closed out the first day of the convention with a solemn prayer for the release of hostages abducted by Hamas on October 7.

“O Lord our God, we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, your eternal city, and for all the children of Abraham, we remember and pray for freedom for the hostages kidnapped and held so cruelly against their will,” Levy intoned to a hushed crowd. “Lord, please keep them in your sight and hasten the day of their freedom.”

Levy also mourned Corey Comperatore, a retired fireman killed during an assassination attempt on Donald Trump. “We pray for Corey Comperatore and his family,” she said. “May his memory always be a blessing.”

The first day of the convention saw few mentions of Israel, aside from Trump campaign signs in Hebrew distributed by the RJC. The day focused primarily on the economy, the announcement of Trump’s vice-presidential pick J.D. Vance, and Trump’s triumphant arrival, with his ear bandaged from the assassination attempt.

David Sacks, a tech billionaire and the convention’s major Jewish speaker, pivoted to foreign policy after praising Trump’s economic policies. He criticized President Joe Biden’s support for Ukraine, calling Biden’s policies “demented” and warning they could lead to World War III. Sacks, an outlier among Jewish Republicans, made a brief joke about Israel: “The administration’s policy toward Gaza has been so incoherent that the only thing pro-Israel and pro-Palestine protesters agree on is the chant ‘Eff Joe Biden.’”

Absent from the day’s rhetoric was the inflammatory language that has previously unsettled Jewish attendees. Notable figures such as Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson focused on economic issues, avoiding controversial comments about Jews.

Levy’s prayer stood out as the strongest presence of Israel on the convention’s first day, alongside a leftist protest march outside the arena featuring pro-Palestinian speakers. The convention is set to address Jewish concerns more directly in the coming days, with Jewish students speaking on Tuesday about pro-Palestinian protests on campuses and a focus on foreign policy on Wednesday.

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